Doug Gottlieb Makes Huge Statement On LeBron James’ Future With Los Angeles

LeBron James came to Los Angeles to help the Lakers become contenders, but it didn’t work, and the team missed the playoffs. The king suffered a terrible groin injury, and it kept him sidelined for 17 games. Magic Johnson brought LeBron to LA, and he is now out of the front office. The team struggles with injuries, trade rumors and they lack big players. Luke Walton is replaced with Frank Vogel, and now we have rumors about LeBron’s potential trade demand. Doug Gottlieb says that LeBron won’t go anywhere.

Gottlieb explained that LeBron would never leave the Lakers at this point. First, his kids are about to start high school, and he has already moved his business to Southern California. There’s no chance that he goes back now.

Bill Plaschke and Dave McMenamin fueled the fire about LeBron’s trade demand.

“I’m hearing that if they whiff on free agency, and if they whiff on a trade, which I don’t know how likely that is, but if that happens, they’ve got big trouble with LeBron,” Plaschke said. “I mean the LeBron era could be over before it starts here.”

“Everyone I speak to associated with LeBron, they are holding the rope for now, and all they can do is be positive because this is going to be a crucial five-week stretch,” McMenamin added. “But on the other side of that, if it’s July 10th in Los Angeles and it’s Nic Vucevic [that the Lakers have had to settle for], or whomever does not meet the criterion of bringing in a star who can make them an immediate contender, you could only imagine where things could go.”

Plaschke said, “I heard this for the first time yesterday, somebody very connected said ‘You know what, if they whiff, LeBron’s going to say either I’m out of here or get me out of here, or the Lakers just might as well just get him out of here.’ So this is huge.“

If you ask the new head coach in Los Angeles, he will say that he and LeBron are pretty excited about the upcoming season.

“The same way you do with all your players,” Vogel said. “You treat them with respect, you make sure that you’re challenging them, and pushing them, and showing them that you’re going to put them in an environment where they’re going to be at their best. And we’re going to tie everything together with everything else that has to happen to build a winner.”

LeBron and Vogel have already talked, and they are really excited about the upcoming season.

“I’m not going to get too into detail on the conversations that I’ve had with LeBron, but I would say that stuff is real in my experience with competing against him, and understanding the way that the league has changed in the last two years, and the plan that’s going to go in place for LeBron is really rock-solid. All that stuff just gives me a world of confidence in what we can accomplish.”